I am in the process of buying a 15/16 GL450 or 17 GLS. I have been mainly looking at MB dealers but have found their response to pretty disappointing (I.e. calling you back timely or not getting back at all). Most of the dealers in my area don't have what I have been looking for so I have expanded my search. Is this typical of most MB Dealers? I found one really awesome dealer but they have not had anything that checks the boxes for the last two months, still holding out that something will come in but at some point I will need to move on.

What are you thoughts on buying from a non MB dealer, is there a risk of getting a car that is lower quality? I have focused on cars with a good maintenance history and once mainly serviced by the dealer . I also looked at one at Carmax and was disappointed in the condition, the car was dirty. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

 

See reply in W166 forum. Dealers are pain and agony to deal with. Do your homework on any previously owned vehicle. I bought from a non-MB dealer, no regrets.

 

Thanks, this would be my first MB and have some concern after seeing some issues that arise with this cars. But for what I am looking for The Gl/GLS checks off the boxes. I looked at the Q7 and found it does not have enough room and the Lexus GX/LX I found to be a bit on the boring side. There is one at a local BMW I think I will go check out next. Thanks for the feedback.

 

​​I enjoy working on my vehicles and the GL/GLS does need it from time to time. This site is a great resource and as well as the factory service manual.

I would definitely get the VMI on it and an independent to go over the vehicle if that option is available to you prior to purchase.

 

A GL is a nicer vehicle than the Audi Q7. The Lexus LX is more competitive but does not have the refined feel or performance of a German car, in my opinion.

 

Some of this, if not all might be covered in the other thread, but here it goes... long post ⚠️

I bought my 2010 550 site unseen (sort of) from a VW dealer across the country. I live in Canada. The sales guy I got when I cold called about the truck was more than obviously willing to sell me the car regardless of the distance. Several emails, pics, video, more pics, more phone calls, emails and the deal was done. Some of the emails a d calls were to pry info I had asked for but not received. Be persistent for everything you ask to receive. I didn't ask for a PPI, but thats because they had replaced a few things with original MB parts before adding it to their used inventory. I had confidence that the car was in pretty decent shape. I wasn't wrong when I saw it in person

Ask for PPI from a local MB dealer where your car is, you may have to pay for it, or at least split the cost. I would do that if I had to do it again with mine.

Ask for service records from your local MB dealer to get an idea about what's been done and when. Ive had better luck with service managers here than with SAs. Sometimes service records can produce yellow and red flags, along with green ones. I found the dealer which had serviced mine for its entire life before I got it so calling them once in a while with a targeted question gets me what I want to know. In Canada the dealer network is stingy about sharing service records which I've not paid for, and they claim they can't see any work done by dealers elsewhere unless performed under warranty. Privacy issues are regularly quoted as the reason. That's why I hunted down the dealer which had performed work, and was very lucky that they were the only one.

If you're happy to work with a local dealer, they can do some hunting for you in the MB dealer network used inventory. If your dealer finds something that would be of interest to you, you won't have to travel to get it and take a chance on driving a car you've never seen in person. Plenty of people do it, and so would I if the distance was reasonable and I had confidence in the seller and car, but I would rather not take unnecessary risks if it's too far from home. You'd pay for the shipping one way or another, unless you're a super good negotiator and get the selling dealer to cover it.

The down side is that if they bring a specimen in, you're probably more or less committed to buying it. Iron this part out with your local dealer so there aren't any surprises to spoil a good relationship. Look into extended warranty options if available for your truck's year and mileage.

Good luck!

 

Just remember a thorough PPI is your friend, though no guarantee that there won't be future issues, It's a good start. Most Dealers do an OK job on a PPI ( you can get a look at the VMI even if they won't give it to you with a Dealer PPI), but someone on the forum in the area the vehicle you are buying is at can usually suggest a good Indy shop for the PPI.

 

Thanks for the all the insights. I have expended my search to other dealerships and have been having better success in identifying potential cars. Hopefully I will be able to nail down what I want in a few weeks.